011688 JT PK WS MINCITY OF SHOREWOOD AMERICAN LEGION
JOINT STUDY SESSION 24450 SMITHTOWN ROAD
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1988 8 :00 A.M. - BLUE ROOM
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
• The Joint Council & Commissions Study Session was held Saturday,
January 16, 1988 at 8 :00 A.M. in the Blue Room, at the Shorewood
American Legion, 24450 Smithtown Road, Shorewood, Minnesota. Those
in attendance were:
Council: Mayor Rascop, Councilmembers Gagne, Stover and Haugen.
Planning Commissioners: Schultz, Spellman & Watten.
Park Commissioners: Weatherly, Andrus, Lindstrom & Vogel.
Staff: Vogt, Nielsen, Kennelly, Zdrazil & Niccum.
Mayor Rascop opened the session by asking each of the groups to list
their area of concerns for discussion. The following list of terms
was offered for discussion.
1. lack of city water
2. high taxes
3. tax base (lack of commercial development)
4. financial planning
5. long -range planning
6. communication
7. identity (community- lack -of)
8. sewer rates
9. sewer /water services
10. public works facility
11. day to day operations
• 12. coordination of contracted services
13. long -range planning /consistency of direction
14. establish professional altitude
Each person then ranked the items as to its importance. The group
then broke into three smaller groups and discussed the catagories
which were ranked as most important.
A. High Taxes:
Groups discussed the current high taxes and what portion of the tax
bill actually goes to operate the City. They encouraged the
promotion of good commercial uses in the existing commercial zones
and the development of residential properties other than single
family. This type of development would increase the tax base.
B. Financial Planning:
The financial planning issue boiled down to the need to project the
needs for the City and set priorities in order to set a financial
plan.
C. Public Works Needs:
They discussed the future needs of the department including an
expanded area, or a new location, new structures, and on going
equipment replacement.
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JOINT STUDY SESSION MINUTES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1988
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10 D. Park Improvements:
The questions of the need for additional land acquision for parks
and the method to pay for the land was reviewed. A Capital
Improvements Plan will be updated by the staff and commissions
prior to the next budgeting period. They discussed the
possibilities of a referendum in order to complete all the parks at
one time.
E. Contractual Services:
A list of all services contracted and the approximate cost of these
services were reviewed. The merits of contractual cost and
services versus "in house" costs were reviewed. Many of the
services were determined to be best contracted in order to obtain a
good quality of services for the cost. The cities exchanging
services with other cities was also explained.
Council felt the sealcoating survey should be done in early spring
by the staff for recommendation to the Council for the yearly
sealcoating project.
F. Communications:
Additional information should be incorporated into the newsletter.
Surveys, park issues and department articles should be headlined.
City information folders could be developed for new residents,
encouraging developers and city identity. Additional signage
should be installed to denote city limits.
The meeting was adjourned at 2 :00 P.M., with discussion of the need
to hold these joint meetings yearly or more than once a year. The
Mayor thanked the praticipants for their contibutions.
Respectfully,
Sandra Kennelly
City Clerk
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